Hilarious Homeschool Memory :)

As an official homeschooler in PA, I have to submit a portfolio of samples of Bella's school work at the end of the year.  As I was considering some science samples to add to her current portfolio, I remembered this one from her 2nd grade year...wonder what the superintendent would have thought of it?  (We didn't have to submit a portfolio for 2nd grade, but I would definitely have included this one!)

Bella did this little science illustration and summary a year ago when we were studying Biology.  I've shared it before because it is that funny!  Enjoy :)  

Here's what she wrote:

Here's what she drew:

Poor frog!  This girl is funny...and creative!

Laugh at something today...and God bless~
Rachel

Things that go Bump...

...but no worries, all is well.

I found a lump under my arm back in early December.  At the time, I had a chest cold, so I didn't worry and just kept an eye on it.  The cold went away, but the lump did not.  I went in on Friday, January 21st to have my doctor look at it since it wasn't going away.  She wasn't overly worried, but she did ask me some questions that started making me a bit nervous.  She was concerned enough to send me for an ultrasound of the lump.  I made an appointment for the following Monday...and began to think that it was going to be a long weekend.

Steve patiently listened to my concerns when he got home that night.  He also prayed for me and sweetly and gently reminded me to look to Jesus.  I am so very thankful for a husband who turns my eyes to the Lord.  Normal concern is one thing...dwelling in scary and unnecessary places is another.  In all honesty, I also kept myself busy with projects around the house and listened to lots of worship music. 


But sometimes my thoughts did go to dark, what-if places.  Why is that?  Why do I think like this?  Is it human nature?  I don't have good answers, but I do have a Savior who whispered to me all weekend.  He didn't get frustrated with me for some of my thoughts and wonderings...instead He reminded me to take my thoughts captive and turn them to Him.  He reminded me of scripture and His promises.  He reminded me that He is with me in any circumstance and situation and that He is already aware of it all.  He kept me calm while I waited through the weekend for my appointment; He did not allow me to dwell in darkness.

"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you..."   Psalm 55: 22



"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice...The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."                        Philippians 4: 4-9


The ultrasound appointment went well.  Strangely, the tech, could feel the lump, but it did not show up on ultrasound.  This was reassuring, but I still had to wait for the official results from the radiologist and my doctor.  (Interestingly, this was the same tech who had done our baby ultrasound a couple of weeks ago.  She wanted to know how the cake-cutting went and what we thought of the news.  It was fun to share and talk with her again.)

The final word from my doctor is that it is not a soft tissue problem...good news.  It does not appear to be an infection or a cyst of any type.  She thinks it's probably simply because I'm pregnant...gotta love the things that pregnancy hormones can do to the body :)  I am supposed to watch it and let her know if I notice any changes, but for now, there are no worries.  

I am obviously thankful that it is not anything too concerning.  I am also very thankful for how the Lord ministered to me while I waited for the official results.  I am thankful for the modern medicine that is available, but I am most thankful for this truth; my Lord is with me through any and every circumstance...the good, the bad, and everything in between.


God bless~
Rachel

Kingdom Perspective

In the fall, we participated in an online study of India that was sponsored by Sonlight Curriculum and Mission India.  The girls watched a series of videos that focused on India and the work that Mission India is doing.  Bella even had a Passport to India...she had questions to answer each week, passport stickers to add when a part of the trip was completed, and we were all encouraged in how to pray for India and its people.  The videos were age appropriate, but they didn't hold back either.  We visited slums and met children who are living in deplorable conditions.  We visited villages and and saw how families are surviving.  We visited temples and saw how God is putting His gospel into action.


The kids who participated were also encouraged to collect spare change to give to Mission India.  Sonlight was offering a funds matching challenge and the girls learned that every $1 dollar raised would be used to send a child to a community children's bible club.  The girls had a special collection box and raided their piggy banks.  But this was not enough for Bella...she really wanted to fully sponsor 100 children.  She asked me if we could have a bake sale at Compass, our homeschool co-op.  

So, in November Bella (and Sophia) held a bake sale.  We made cupcakes, cookies, and brownies and they were a hit :)  Bella made a banner and we had fun watching the goodies disappear.  When all was totaled, she had raised over $44 for Mission India.  We added money to make it to $50 and Sonlight matched that amount...grand total, $100!  She reached her goal...100 sponsored children will now get to attend a local kid's bible club :)  

I confess that I am so proud of her...God gave her a desire to do more and she listened.  He inspired her with a plan and she put it into action.  And God blessed her efforts. 


Thank you, Lord, for the Kingdom perspective you are growing in my children.  

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..."       Matthew 28: 19


God bless~
Rachel

What's in a Name?

There is something so special about choosing a child's name.

I have loved naming all my babies!  It hasn't been hard for Steve and I to pick names we both love.  Thankfully, we have similar taste in names, so it's been very easy for us to pick names together.  Before I reveal our newest sweet babe's name, though, I thought I'd share some thoughts and reflections of our other children's names and how they came to be.  After marrying into the Gonzales name, I was drawn to names with Spanish and European roots.  We also have a tradition of choosing a family name for our children's middle names.

Elijah Shawn Gonzales:  We both really liked the name Elijah (meaning "my God is the Lord") and after we learned our son would not live long, the name Elijah seemed even more appropriate.  He is named after God's prophet, Elijah, who was simply whisked away to heaven one day.  

"And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."  2 Kings 2: 11

His middle name, Shawn (meaning "God is gracious"), is Steve's middle name, so he is named after his daddy :)

Isabella Anne-Louise Gonzales:   Isabella is a name with Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish roots and means "consecrated or devoted to God".   Anne (meaning gracious; merciful) is my middle name and my mom's middle name as well.  Louise (meaning warrior) is Steve's Grandma G's name.  Isabella was due on Grandma G's birthday (of course, she came a week late).  Grandma G passed away before Bella was born, but she is very special to Steve and I am thankful for the time I got to spend with her too.  We love that Bella's name honors two of her grandmas.  Our prayer for our beautiful Bella is that she may live a life devoted to God; may she be a "gracious warrior" for His kingdom.

Sophia Rose Gonzales:  Sophia means wisdom.  Her name has Greek roots...as well as Italian, Spanish, and German.  I like the German connection because my dad was born in Germany.  Sophia's middle name comes from Steve's mom, Heather Rose...we are thankful to honor Steve's mom in our daughter's name.  Rose is Latin and English in origin and the rose is a symbol of love and beauty.  Our prayer for our sweet Sophia Rose is that she may live a life marked by our Lord's "beautiful wisdom".

One interesting note is that both Isabella and Sophia have really grown in popularity...I think they were the #1 and #2 names for girls last year.  They were definitely not uncommon names when we chose them, but wow, who knew they would become so popular.  Neither of them had made it into the top 10 yet when we named our girls...at least we were slightly ahead of the curve :)  Our newest daughter's name doesn't even show up on some baby name lists.  I did find it on one list...the most recent info was from 1880 when this name was ranked #869...it's slightly less common than her older sister's names :)

And finally, introducing...


Gracia Kathryn Gonzales:  Gracia (pronounced gray-SHAH) is the Spanish form of Grace, meaning "the freely given, unmerited love of God".  Grace also means elegance and beauty.  And we have continued our tradition of choosing a family name for our newest one's middle name by naming her after Steve's Aunt Kathy.  We love the name Kathryn (meaning pure) and we love Aunt Kathy...a perfect fit!  Pure Grace is a wonderful name to describe how we feel about God's blessing upon our lives by giving us another sweet babe :)  We pray her life is marked by God's grace; His pure, beautiful, elegant grace.

And there you have it...our newest little critter's precious name and a little bit about our other critter's names as well.  I enjoyed reflecting and remembering how God led us to choose their names...thanks for "listening"~

God bless~
Rachel

A Sweet Baby GIRL :)

Hello, hello!

What a delightful weekend we had celebrating Steve's 40th birthday!  Our festivities on Sunday included a gathering of friends and a special birthday cake.  We had our ultrasound tech write down the baby's gender and seal it in an envelope.  We gave the envelope to a baker and he baked a very special cake for Steve.  The color of the inside frosting would let us know if this was a baby boy or a baby girl.  It was really fun finding out this way...even though waiting was hard :)  Well, now it really is Steve and the ladies!

Our fantastic photographer friend, Todd, took this video clip for us...thank you so much, Todd!  We are very blessed by you and your family!

Bella really wanted another sister and Sophia really wanted a little brother...someone wasn't getting what they wanted.  Our sweet Sophia took it pretty hard, but we've had some good conversations and I know she will love this baby so much.  I would love to ask for you to pray for her.  She will be okay, but the honest questions and heart of a 5 year old can be interesting to navigate.  A few weeks ago, she saw a cute little girl's outfit.  Now she is hoping she can buy it for her little sister...Sophia's heart is just so sweet :)

So, here's the video clip...enjoy~

God bless~
Rachel

Happy 40th Birthday, Steve!!!

Happy 40th Birthday to my dearest Steve!

I love you and am so thankful to be your wife!

Steve, you are a treasure to us; the girls and I think the world of you!  You are a wonderful husband and a fabulous father.  I am thankful for the years the Lord has given us...thankful to be celebrating your 40th birthday today!  

There are so many things I love about you...here are just a few :)  You love to laugh and you love life.  Your laugh is contagious and brightens up our life.  You love music.  I love listening to you play your guitar and am so thankful for the worship music I hear.  You are so smart.  PhD from Penn coming up soon :)  I love your interests and hobbies; you really are an interesting character...from fly fishing to mountain biking to chemistry to literature.  You are a problem solver.  I still chuckle when I think of how you disassembled the rotisserie feature of our grill and set it up so you could continually rotate the fly rod you were making.  (He did this so glue would dry evenly.)  You are a great dad!  Our children are so blessed by you!  They light up when you get home, they just simply love being with you.  You are teaching them well.  You are a great husband...you make me feel like a very special woman...thank you!  

One of my favorite things about you is how you love the Lord.  Steve, it has been so wonderful to watch you grow spiritually.  You inspire me and encourage me.  I am so thankful for God's hand on your life and the life of our family.  I am thankful for the journey our Lord has us on and I am so very thankful to be traveling it with you.  I love you~

Rach~

I Wonder...

...who you are, yet I am already so in love with you!

Are you a boy or a girl? Is your hair light or dark? What color are your eyes? Will you be quiet like Bella or talkative like Sophia? Will you be right or left handed? Were you really sucking your thumb like the ultrasound tech thought?

The best news is that you look healthy...we praise God! Your spine looks good, you wiggled your hands and feet a lot while getting your pictures taken, your fluid levels are good, your bladder and heart look good, and your brain is right where it's supposed to be. Plus, you have a mighty cute profile :)

I am excited that soon we will find out your gender. Our ultrasound tech is pretty sure she knows, so we had her write it down and seal it in an envelope. Your Daddy's birthday is coming up, so we borrowed a fun idea from another couple at church. We took the sealed envelope to a baker and he is baking your Daddy a special birthday cake. The outside will be white, but inside, the frosting will be colored blue or pink depending on what the tech wrote down. We will cut that cake in a few days and we'll know at least a little bit more about you. Some of our friends are coming over to celebrate Daddy's birthday with us, but in all honesty, I think they are really coming for you :)

Here's what I want you to know. If you're a boy, we will be thrilled...if you're a girl, we will be thrilled! Either way, we will be so happy and excited...because we have you! You have long been wanted and prayed for. God knows you already and He knows that you are the one who perfectly fits into our family.



"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."   
                                                                                        Psalm 139: 13-14

God bless you, little critter~

Love, Mommy

It's My Bag, Baby!

If you're reading this, then you probably know me.  If you know me, then you are well aware that keeping up with the latest fashion or trend is something I'm just not very good at.  But just because it's not a top priority doesn't mean I don't enjoy something new or special every now and then.  

And then there's the budget.  With Steve in school and me at home with our kiddos, there's just not really extra money for things that are not necessary.  And new purses are not necessary.  God has really taught us a lot through our financial-grad-school situation.  We've had to learn to do without and deny our desires for many things, many times during these grad school years...lessons we want to remember and hold onto when we're done with this part of our lives.  God has changed our outlook on money for sure...maybe I'll write about that one day.

Anyway, back to my new bag, baby :)  Until recently, the last new purse I had was one purchased in Colorado...yep, way back in 2006, for my birthday I think.  I wanted one for Christmas, but it didn't have to be under the tree.  Steve and I decided we'd wait til after Christmas and see what I could find...obviously, I was hoping for a good sale...more purse for my buck, you might say.  Sometimes I tease Steve that he should be extra thankful that I'm such a cheapskate...I mean, that I'm so financially savvy:)  

Well, ladies and gentlemen...well, okay, probably just ladies...here's my new bag!  She is a dark brown, genuine leather beauty (that I found at Belk's, a pretty nice department store down South) and I got her for the rip roaring bargain of $9.99 two days after Christmas; just a bit over $10 after tax!  I don't know which I like better; my purse or the price :)

Here's to being frugal...have a blessed day~
Rachel

Christmas Memories~

We enjoyed Christmas with my parents in NC this year...well, technically, last year :) My brother, Chris (who lives in Colorado Springs), surprised us by joining us over the holidays...it was a nice surprise!

We did a lot of relaxing, eating, relaxing, eating...you get the idea. It was a very nice break for Steve from the demands of school and a nice time with loved ones.

We were also there to celebrate my Mom's Christmas Eve birthday. The girls helped my dad bake a cake and we had a nice, little family celebration. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Christmas was a blast and a blessing! Most of the gifts under the tree were for the girls...there is something so fun about watching little ones open their gifts! Some of the extra special gifts were the ukuleles Steve picked out for the girls. They also love the horse barn, trailer, and other horse stuff they received from Oma and Opa. And they are enjoying the new movies they ordered with some of their gift certificates.

It snowed about 9 inches the day after Christmas...a very BIG snow for the area. We, of course, did not have any appropriate snow gear, so we weren't out in it very much...but it sure was pretty and made the day after Christmas extra relaxing. We were hoping to visit our church in Raleigh, but the snow changed those plans...maybe next time.

We spent a day at the NC Museum of Natural History while we were in town. What a great museum! We all had a great time and learned a lot too :) One thing I really appreciate is that this museum is free to the public. Special exhibits do cost $$, but the main museum is open to all. It is wonderful that NC (whose taxes are way lower than where I live) provides this for any and all. The museums up here in the Philly area are wonderful...and expensive...I better stop before this turns into a tax tirade :)

We also got to see Steve's cousins on New Year's day. We all met at one of our favorite places, Fiesta Mexicana, and had a great time catching up. Somehow, I only got pictures of the younger kids together...need to have my camera out more...guess I was too busy gabbing :) The pics of the kids were funny, though...everyone had their camera out...poor critters didn't know where to look...but they sure are cute! It was so nice to see everyone!

Here are some pics from our time in NC...enjoy~

Have a great day~
Rachel

Elijah Would be Ten Today

Elijah would be ten today.

Ten years ago today I had my first baby. Ten years ago today he died in his Daddy's arms.

This day has been coming and going for ten years now...and I still never know what to expect. Sometimes it is very intense and the emotions can be so raw...other times it is more mellow and reflective. And often it's a combo of both.

As Elijah's birthday approached this year, I found it hard to imagine what our life would look like with a ten year old boy running around our home.

And God turned my focus to what Elijah's life has been like.

"...I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!"
Isaiah 6: 1-3

My son has known the glory of God, literally, since the day he was born. He has lived his life in heaven. He has lived his life with our Lord. He was released from the very difficult medical life he probably faced here on earth and has lived a healed life in heaven. How glorious!

Oh, I still have so many questions, but God has healed me from so much of the Why? that troubled me for so many years. I am so very thankful for His healing in my heart.

My questions now are more about the mysteries of heaven and sometimes just good old curiosity. Is Elijah still a baby? Or do we continue to age and grow in heaven? Or something in between? What does Elijah know about his family here on earth? Does he have a relationship with his brother or sister we lost to miscarriage? Has he met any other of our family and friends who are already in heaven? Does he have friends in heaven that he can't wait for us to meet?

There are so many things to ponder...so many things I would love to know. These are things of glory, not of grief. There are some hints and clues in scripture that I find fascinating. I am thankful that God included them in His word.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Hebrews 12:1

These encouraging words follow the "Heroes of Faith" section of Hebrews. I don't know how this "cloud of witnesses" part works, but I am encouraged that at least some in heaven make up our cheering section.

"I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12: 23

This may be a strange verse to bring comfort, but it does. These words are spoken by Kind David following the death of his first son with Bathsheba. It is the end of a sad story. These are words of a grieving father who expects to one day see his son again and for some reason, God chose for them to be recorded in scripture. I am thankful for the hope they bring...hope of one day being reunited with Elijah in heaven.

The details and descriptions found in Revelation are pretty awe inspiring. I'm not a theology expert, so I don't claim to know exactly how or when all will work out concerning the new heaven and the new earth, but I do see some pretty amazing stuff recorded for us in scripture.

"The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire (one of my favorites!), the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass."

Revelation 21: 18-21

Wow! New Jerusalem will be beautiful! It's hard to even imagine. This is the description of the city...are there other parts of heaven? What are they like?

Truly, I don't think I can comprehend how wonderful heaven is and how wonderful it will be, but having Elijah there ahead of me has caused me to consider heaven very differently. God has shown me that heaven is glorious, every detail perfectly prepared by our Lord himself, and I am thankful.

"...as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4: 18

Have a blessed day~
Rachel